Learning Environments at the Margin: Case Studies of Disenfranchised Youth Doing Science in an Aquarium and an After-School Program

January 1st, 2008 | RESEARCH

In this article, we explore how two informal educational contexts—an aquarium and an after-school science program—enabled disenfranchised learners to adopt an identity as insiders to the world of science. We tell the stories of four youth, relating what doing science meant to them and how they positioned themselves in relation to science. We contribute to the extensive literature on the value of learning beyond the school walls, yet focus on ethnically and linguistically diverse youth from low-income backgrounds who have often been excluded from such settings. We suggest that such out-of-school settings are particularly important to youth who have few other opportunities to interact with and relate to science in positive ways.

Document

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Team Members

Jrene Rahm, Author, University of Montreal
Doris Ash, Author, University of Montreal

Citation

Identifier Type: DOI
Identifier: 10.1007/s10984-007-9037-9
Identifier Type: ISSN
Identifier: 1387-1579

Publication: Learning Environments Research
Volume: 11
Number: 1
Page(s): 49

Related URLs

EBSCO Full Text

Tags

Access and Inclusion: English Language Learners | Women and Girls
Audience: Elementary School Children (6-10) | Middle School Children (11-13) | Pre-K Children (0-5)
Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article | Research Products
Environment Type: Afterschool Programs | Aquarium and Zoo Programs | Public Programs